Thursday, November 5, 2015

IT News Head Lines (Engadget) 06/11/2015

Explore New Zealand's 'Great Walks' with Google Street View

If
you want to take a trip to Middle Earth tonight but don't have a
passport, Google's got you covered with a new addition to Street View.
The internet juggernaut's partnered with New Zealand's Department of
Conservation to use Google Trekker to cr... Read More ...

BBC Store lets you buy and download classic TV shows

Before
iPlayer existed, VHS tapes and DVDs were one of the few ways to rewatch
BBC shows. Unless you caught a rerun or had diligently prepared the
VCR, that is. These days iPlayer reigns supreme, but catchup is limited
to a 30-day window -- so ther... Read More ...

Huawei's next chipset may give competitors a run for their money

Huawei
is now Europe's second largest Android brand, according to Kantar, but
there's just no time for celebration. Not too long after launching the
Huawei Mate S and the Nexus 6P, the Chinese telecom giant is already
teasing the launch of the Mate... Read More ...

The 'Fallout 4' Pip-Boy app is available right now

Attention
future Commonwealth explorers: The Fallout 4 Pip-Boy app is available
for you to download. Unlike the gap between the release of Fallout
Shelter on Android and iOS, both versions are available right this very
moment. More than just acting... Read More ...

Google engineer takes on subpar USB Type-C cables

Trying
to save a few bucks by purchasing offbrand cables? We've all done it --
but there's something you should know about new USB Type-C connectors
popping up on cellphones (Nexus, OnePlus), laptops (Macbook, Pixel),
tablets (Pixel C) and even App... Read More ...

California police use these biometric scanners

Police
are increasingly turning to biometric tech in the field. It's supposed
to help cops verify the identity of suspects, but there's a real concern
that they could abuse this to get personal details on record -- and the
Electronic Frontier Found... Read More ...

Circle with Disney makes it easy to control your kids' screen time

When
I was younger, I had a friend whose dad would shut down their house's
internet connection every 12AM without fail. He'd love Circle with
Disney if his children were still kids. It's a cube (despite its name)
that pairs up with your WiFi networ... Read More ...

Sony's A7 II camera gets a faster and more accurate autofocus

The
Sony A7 II is one of the best mirrorless cameras available right now,
although it isn't perfect. After trying it out earlier this year, one of
our main issues with the full-frame shooter was its autofocus
performance, which was at times slow an... Read More ...

Google Maps for iOS speaks out traffic warnings while you drive

If
you're carrying an iPhone, Google Maps just got much more helpful in
those moments when you're determined to avoid gridlock. As on Android,
Maps' iOS app now speaks out traffic warnings in navigation mode. You'll
get a verbal summary of conditio... Read More ...

You can drive cars from 'Fallout 4' in 'Forza Motorsport 6'

Can't
wait until November 10th to wander through a desolate nuclear
wasteland? That's a little weird, dude -- but if you need something to
tide you over until Fallout 4 hits stores, Forza Motorsport 6 may have
the ticket: starting today, players wi... Read More ...

Mobile apps share a lot more of your data than you think

You're
probably well aware that many mobile apps want to share your data.
They need your email address to set up an account, or your location to
tag your photos. However, a research team has discovered that at least
some of that software is shari... Read More ...

Evernote adds sketching and split-screen features on iOS

Sketching
has been available in Evernote's Penultimate app for quite some time,
but now the company's main productivity app is handling your scribbles
on its own. With an update for its iOS apps, Evernote now lets you
sketch notes with a Jot stylus... Read More ...

Facebook averaged over 1 billion daily users in September

Facebook's
growth shows no sign of stopping. Today is announced that it has over
one billion users on average using it everyday. In August it announced
it had passed a milestone of having one billion users on the site in a
single day. By the next m... Read More ...

Free app brings local news broadcasts to Android, iOS and Roku

We're
living in a cord-cutter's world where everyone seems to be ditching
their cable and satellite subscriptions in favor of the cheaper
alternative: streaming. The problem is, when we clense ourselves of all
those pesky cords we also lose a wide... Read More ...

NASA wants to hire more astronauts

Have
you dreamed of becoming a space explorer? You now have your chance to
do something about it: after a four-year silence, NASA is once again
hiring new astronauts. The recruiting drive will run between December
14th and mid-February, with the fi... Read More ...

Facebook reportedly launching a standalone news app next week

According
to Financial Times, Facebook will be releasing yet another standalone
app. The yet-to-be-released Notify app will feature news from media
partners like The Washington Post, CBS and Vogue. Users will receive
alerts when one of the outlets... Read More ...

Runaway blimp prompts the US to freeze a missile defense program

That
US Army radar blimp that ran amok didn't just trigger an internet
frenzy... it may have put the brakes on a big military research
initiative. Pentagon officials have frozen the JLENS (Joint Land Attack
Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted S... Read More ...

Google hopes to reboot its low-cost Android phone program

Google's
Android One program was supposed to help the developing world go mobile
and promote 'pure' devices full of Google services, but that's not how
it panned out -- the phones flopped as both customers and vendors
preferred heavily customized A... Read More ...

Motorola is opening a retail store in Chicago this weekend

With
the holiday shopping season just around the corner, this week Motorola
will open its first brick-and-mortar store in Chicago. Named Moto Shop,
the space is designed to be a showroom and hands-on area for all things
Motorola, the company reveal... Read More ...

Scientists create a tiny, flexible lens modeled on insect eyes

Science
seems obsessed with creating tiny objects that can do big things. Like a
team at the University of Wisconsin-Madison which has created a new
microlens with a 170-degree field of vision. Modeled after an insects
multi-faceted eye, the flexib... Read More ...

Apple CarPlay review: A useful companion, even in its early stages

It's
been two years since Apple announced its plot to put your iPhone's core
features inside the dash of your car, but only now is its CarPlay
software becoming available in lots of new models. In brief, CarPlay
allows you to connect your trusty iO... Read More ...

6 world-changing innovations by teenage geniuses

By Cat DiStasio

Solutions
to some of the world's most challenging problems are coming from an
unlikely place: teenagers. Around the world, young inventors are
developing gadgets and techniques that address issues ranging from ocean
pollution to bi... Read More ...

'Robotic fingers' make your dumb appliances smarter

Naran,
a South Korean startup, has developed a series novel devices that
transforms analog, push-button devices into internet-connected tools for
your smart home. The devices, dubbed "Microbot Push" are low-power
Bluetooth gadgets that pull command... Read More ...

Samsung's latest ATIV laptop gets a 4K screen, discrete graphics

Samsung's
ATIV Book 9 series has mostly targeted Ultrabook buyers with
lighweight, powerful and pricey models like the ATIV Book 9 Plus.
However, the company's latest model, the ATIV Book 9 Pro is now suited
for demanding users like gamers and grap... Read More ...

Maker Camp becomes the after-school program you wish you had as a kid

"One
thing we can bet on is that 'making' engages kids," Dale Dougherty,
Maker Media founder told Engadget. Anyone that's ever been to a Maker
Faire knows that's a solid wager. Children routinely crowd around booths
and attractions at the event pep... Read More ...